HOLLYWOOD—When you think of funny, the names Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell do come to fruition, but not in a million years did I ever suspect that both would appear in the same movie. The comedy “Get Hard” places the two comedy legends in the same movie, as James King (Ferrell) gets to know Darnell Lewis (Hart) on a personal level.
The one thing the audience needs to understand if they venture into the theater is that “Get Hard” looks to examine a bevy of stereotypes in American culture. While some things are indeed funny, there are those moments that are a tad cringe-worthy so much so that it’s uncomfortable as a viewer.
The narrative follows James who gets a dose of reality when he is arrested for fraud and embezzlement, and finds himself facing 10 years in prison, and only a month before he heads to the big house. I had fun with the movie totting that idea of someone on top falling to the bottom and having to see the world from the perspective of the other guy, this is where Darnell comes in.
He teaches James the ropes of what to do if he wants to survive prison, but only if he receives $30,000 in cash. The irony, Lewis has no idea about the inner workings of the prison world, and puts on a façade to convince his boss that he does. The one issue with the movie is that its pushes the boundaries to a degree that isn’t always forgiven by the audience. It’s apparent what the writers aimed for, but I’m not so sure the execution works as well in a society where racial tensions are running a bit high at the moment.
It’s not just the dialogue that is a bit risqué, but also some of the antics displayed by Hart and Ferrell’s characters. The idea of there being no limitations in the comedy world needs to be implemented. There is a thing as going a bit too far, which this movie seems to do at times, even if it doesn’t realize it.
“Get Hard” brings comedy legends together; it’s just unfortunate the script the actors had to work with was not as strong as the jokes that we know they are capable of delivering.
